Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

Methamphetamine (ice, speed, crystal, shard) has been called epidemic in the United States. Yet few communities were ready for increased use of methamphetamine by suburban women. Women on Ice is the first book to study exclusively the lives of women who use the drug and its effects on their families.

In-depth interviews with women in the suburban counties of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. chronicle the details of their initiation into methamphetamine, the turning points into problematic drug use, and for a few, their escape from lives veering out of control. Their life course and drug careers are analyzed in relation to the intersecting influences of social roles, relationships, social/political structures, and political trends. Examining the effects of punitive drug policy, inadequate social services, and looming public health risks, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, the book gives voice to women silenced by shame.

Boeri introduces new and developing concepts in the field of addiction studies and proposes policy changes to more broadly implement initiatives that address the problems these women face. She asserts that if we are concerned that the war on drugs is a war on drug users, this book will alert us that it is also a war on suburban families.

Review

"In Women on Ice, Boeri sets out to study an almost invisible

Review

andquot;The insights in Miriam Boeriandrsquo;s compelling page-turner make an eloquent case for implementing social policy that cares for its most vulnerable mothers and children.andquot;

Review

andquot;Sharp is a leading expert on women in prison and she continues her record of outstanding scholarship with this work.and#160;Mean Lives, Mean Lawsand#160;will make a much needed contribution to policy studies of criminology and criminal justice.andquot;and#160;

Review

andquot;No one is better poised to write a scholarly book on incarcerated women and no state is more appropriate to study than Oklahoma. Mean Lives, Mean Laws is historically, theoretically and methodologically remarkable. But even more importantly, the self-reported rates and words of real incarcerated women about their harsh lives before, in, after, and sometimes upon re-entry to prison are powerful testimonies to how the U.S. system is fundamentally flawed in responding to women and girls as victims and offenders.andquot;

Review

andquot;In this unique book, Boeri studies hidden women living in and near suburbs, a group that to date has never been studied as a subgroup of drug users. The many gripping in-depth interviews are captivating and unforgettable, making the book difficult to put down. A very highly recommended must read for anyone looking to hear the clear voices of women who are ensnared by methamphetamine addiction. Essential.andquot;

Review

andquot;In Women on Ice, Boeri sets out to study an almost invisible

Review

andquot;This is an extremely difficult book to readandmdash;not because it is poorly written, but precisely because it is written so well. The stories of these women are gut-wrenching. What emerges from this candid, engaged, and detailed study is a picture of how a marginalized population is produced by the convergence of [suburbanization, patriarchy, and social class division].andquot;

Review

andquot;Sharp truly cares about incarcerated women and has devoted her life to convincing state bureaucrats to reform the ways they are treated in Oklahoma, possibly the most conservative state in the union and definitely the one with the highest rate of female incarceration.andquot;

Synopsis

Women on Ice is the first book to study exclusively the lives of women who use methamphetamine (ice, speed, crystal, shards) and the effects of its use on their families. In-depth interviews of women in the suburban counties of Atlanta, the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern U.S, illustrate the divergent pathways taken and the details of their initiation into meth and the turning points into problematic use of the drug. Their lives and drug careers are analyzed in relation to the intersecting influences of social roles, relationships, social/political structures, and historical trends.

Synopsis

Women on Ice is the first book to study exclusively the lives of women who use methamphetamine (ice, speed, crystal, shards) and the effects of its use on their families. In-depth interviews with women in the suburban counties of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. chronicle the details of their initiation into methamphetamine, the turning points into problematic drug use, and, for a few, their escape from lives veering out of control.

Synopsis

and#160;Oklahoma has long held the dubious honor of having the highest female incarceration rate in the country, nearly twice the national average. Mean Lives, Mean Laws puts a human face on this alarming statistic, revealing the troubled backgrounds and harsh laws that lead so many Oklahoman women to commit crimes. Drawn from over a decade of first-hand research, the book provides a rigorous analysis of the criminal justice system, yet also gives voice to the women locked within it.and#160;

About the Author

SUSAN F. SHARP is the David Ross Boyd Professor of Sociology at the University of Oklahoma. Co-Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Task Force on Children of Incarcerated Parents, she has written over thirty articles, as well as the book Hidden Victims: Effects of the Death Penalty on Families of the Accused (Rutgers University Press, 2005).

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Methamphetamine: The Perfect Drug for Suburban Women

2. Ethnographic Research: Exploring Methamphetamine Use in the Suburbs

3. The Gendered Drug Career: Initiation and Progression in Methamphetamine Use